CIOs top concern with cloud computing? Talent, not security

Dignity Health chief information officer Deanna Wise was once hesitant of putting health data in the cloud. Now she’s an outspoken proponent.

Whatever reservations Deanna Wise had about using the cloud for data storage, she has long gotten over them now.

The Dignity Health CIO, in fact, said she shared common concerns about the functionality, dependability and security of the cloud as virtual storage shot to prominence as a cost-friendly, labor-saving option for health IT systems. And she shared the hesitation that many felt at the time.

“I was definitely not an early adopter,” she said. “Our strategy of moving elements of our technology to the cloud was probably similar to other CIOs who run large organizations – it was a bit of a wait-and-see approach. I wanted to observe what other industries were doing and I wanted to learn from their challenges and outcomes.”

ClearDATA founder and chief privacy and security officer Chris Bowen recalled the skepticism of the cloud’s genesis, with CIO pushback over patient data security and safeguarding. He conceded that cloud vendors had to overcome those objections by working closely with clients to allay their fears and demonstrate the cloud’s true capabilities.